UK flight warning lifted

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday withdrew its three-day-old advisory notice in which it had cautioned travellers planning to use Namibia’s only direct air link with the United Kingdom to try to avoid using any British airports for the moment.

The Ministry announced on Friday that the Namibian High Commission in the UK had advised, as a result of terror threats against flights departing from Britain, that travellers from Namibia should avoid travelling to or transiting through airports in the UK until further notice. That further notice came late yesterday, when the Ministry announced that its previous travellers’ advisory was being lifted.Travellers should however keep in mind that strict security measures put in place at British airports since Thursday last week remained in force and should be adhered to in order to avoid queues at airports, the Ministry also said.British airports have been hit by long queues, flight delays and cancellations since airport authorities started implementing new, more thorough security checks.Heathrow Airport, which is not directly linked with Namibia, is reported to have been the most seriously affected.Air Namibia offers Namibia’s only direct air link with the UK, with three weekly flights from Hosea Kutako International Airport to London Gatwick Airport, and three return flights from Gatwick a week.The airline’s flights to and from Gatwick have been continuing on schedule since Thursday, Air Namibia’s General Manager: Commercial Services, Helois //Hoabeb, said yesterday.He said the airline has been in regular contact with airport security services at Gatwick, and has assessed the security situation to be such that it could continue operating as closely to normal as possible without endangering passenger or aircraft safety.No abnormal changes in cancellation rates or no-shows from passengers had been detected, he said.Air Namibia will be continuing to enforce the new security measures that the British airport authorities have been requiring since Thursday, he added.In Britain itself, the security clampdown was relaxed somewhat from yesterday.This change came after the British Home Office announced that the terror threat level in the UK was being downgraded from “critical” to “severe” – meaning that terrorist attacks were no longer regarded to be “imminent”, but there was still thought to be a high likelihood of an attempted terrorist attack at some stage.At the same time, Britain’s Department of Transport announced that the near-total ban on hand luggage being carried onto flights was being eased and that passengers would now be allowed to carry one piece of hand luggage with them.Carry-on luggage would not be allowed to exceed a maximum length of 45 centimetres, width of 35 cm and depth of 16 cm, including wheels, handles and side pockets, it was also announced.Passengers are still barred from taking liquids of any type – including gels, pastes, aerosols and lotions – onto aircraft, but would be allowed to carry prescription medicines and baby milk on board with them.All items carried by passengers would be X-ray screened, the Department of Transport also stated.That further notice came late yesterday, when the Ministry announced that its previous travellers’ advisory was being lifted.Travellers should however keep in mind that strict security measures put in place at British airports since Thursday last week remained in force and should be adhered to in order to avoid queues at airports, the Ministry also said. British airports have been hit by long queues, flight delays and cancellations since airport authorities started implementing new, more thorough security checks.Heathrow Airport, which is not directly linked with Namibia, is reported to have been the most seriously affected.Air Namibia offers Namibia’s only direct air link with the UK, with three weekly flights from Hosea Kutako International Airport to London Gatwick Airport, and three return flights from Gatwick a week.The airline’s flights to and from Gatwick have been continuing on schedule since Thursday, Air Namibia’s General Manager: Commercial Services, Helois //Hoabeb, said yesterday.He said the airline has been in regular contact with airport security services at Gatwick, and has assessed the security situation to be such that it could continue operating as closely to normal as possible without endangering passenger or aircraft safety.No abnormal changes in cancellation rates or no-shows from passengers had been detected, he said.Air Namibia will be continuing to enforce the new security measures that the British airport authorities have been requiring since Thursday, he added.In Britain itself, the security clampdown was relaxed somewhat from yesterday.This change came after the British Home Office announced that the terror threat level in the UK was being downgraded from “critical” to “severe” – meaning that terrorist attacks were no longer regarded to be “imminent”, but there was still thought to be a high likelihood of an attempted terrorist attack at some stage.At the same time, Britain’s Department of Transport announced that the near-total ban on hand luggage being carried onto flights was being eased and that passengers would now be allowed to carry one piece of hand luggage with them.Carry-on luggage would not be allowed to exceed a maximum length of 45 centimetres, width of 35 cm and depth of 16 cm, including wheels, handles and side pockets, it was also announced.Passengers are still barred from taking liquids of any type – including gels, pastes, aerosols and lotions – onto aircraft, but would be allowed to carry prescription medicines and baby milk on board with them.All items carried by passengers would be X-ray screened, the Department of Transport also stated.